A Camper's Guide to Family Fun
by LLF
Summary: If you liked the Kovac Family from 'Rules of the Road' and 'The Things We Do', you will enjoy them here on a summer adventure! This is a Luby AU. There has been no shoot 'em up in the ER, no angst...just fun domestic bliss with our favorite couple.
1. Prologue

Abby pressed a kiss into the deliciously chubby folds of her daughter's neck and slipped her into the high chair at the table. She busied herself fastening the safety harness and scattered a few Cheerios onto the tray as she glanced over the papers Luka was poring over. He had maps and an atlas, his cell phone, a calculator and a legal pad with pages of notations.

"What are you doing?" she asked as she bent a little closer to see what he was writing.

"I'm planning our summer vacation," he said as he slipped an arm over the pad he had been writing on.

"Really?" she asked and sat in the chair across from him. "And where are we going?"

"Uh...can it be a surprise?" He tried a smile. Abby frowned and glanced at Lauren, who was concentrating on picking up a cereal bit and putting it in her mouth.

"You like my surprises," Luka whined playfully. Abby glanced at the maps suspiciously.

"Another road trip?" she asked. Luka shook his head.

"Not really. I am making reservations at a state park in Michigan," he said.

"Michigan?"

"Uh huh. Wisconsin was closer but I thought we needed a Great Lake between us to keep your mother away." Abby chuckled.

"Good point. And we are staying in a...?" Luka grinned wider.

"A tent!" Abby's face fell slightly.

"A tent...with a baby? An eleven month old baby?"

"Oh, she'll be fine," Luka grinned and tweaked his daughter's button nose. "We'll just keep her warm and dry...and fed." He popped a Cheerio into his mouth and leaned forward so Lauren could add another one to his lips. She chortled and clapped her hands as Luka made a funny face and ate the cereal. Abby grinned as she watched them. They were quite a pair...a mutual adoration society. She had pulled Lauren's long hair into a pony tail top knot with a strawberry clip. Luka reached out to play with the silky, straight hair and pressed a kiss to his daughter's cheek.

"What about bugs...and snakes?" Abby shivered.

"There are no snakes in state parks," he scoffed. "They...uh... put...uh... special plants around the camp sites to keep them away." Abby regarded him suspiciously and then shrugged.

"Okay," she said. "I did have a lot of fun on the last road trip so I will keep an open mind about this one." She stood up and patted Lauren's head as she walked by and kissed Luka.

"She's ready and I need a shower before we go into work," she said. "Can you pack her diaper bag for the daycare center?" Luka nodded and began stacking his vacation materials into a pile as Abby headed up the stairs. He leaned over and winked his eye at Lauren. She leaned closer and batted her long dark lashes. 'Lukalashes', Abby called them. He suppressed a grin.

"What she doesn't know, won't hurt her," he whispered to her.

"I heard that!" Abby called from the stairs. Luka grimaced and grinned.


	2. Pack the Essentials

Camping Tip Number One: "Pack the Essentials"

Abby sat the bag down on the floor and balanced Lauren on her hip as she unlocked the apartment door. She lightly kicked the door open with her foot and picked up the shopping bag again. She stopped in her tracks and looked over the living room. There were boxes and sleeping bags and a tent spread out everywhere. She wrinkled her nose at the musty smell.

"Luka!" she hollered as she leaned back and shut the door behind her. She made her way to the dining table and set the shopping bag there. She smiled at the baby and kissed her forehead.

"Luka!" she called again and stepped over a pile of aluminum dishes as she headed for the playpen in front of the street front windows. She put Lauren in the playpen and slipped the baby's sweater from her. She handed her a ring of plastic keys and grinned as the little girl stuck them right into her mouth. She stood up and sighed as she surveyed the mess before her once again.

"Luka Kovac...front and center...right now!" she demanded.

"Hey!" Luka grinned as he hurried down the staircase with a purple snow suit in his hands. "When did you get back?" Abby looked around the room. Luka followed her gaze and grinned wider.

"Just checking to make sure something doesn't need to be replaced," he said. "So far, we're in luck." He hurriedly stuck the baby's snowsuit in a box and then gestured.

"We have the tent...," he said. "The sleeping bags should probably be cleaned. I've got dishes...lanterns..." He patted a metal green box.

"And a cook stove." Abby grimaced as she looked everything over.

"Wouldn't it be easier to just go to a hotel?" she asked. His face fell.

"Maybe..." he shrugged and watched her as she made her way slowly around the room. Abby smiled a little and picked up a fishing pole. She turned the handle on the reel and looked up as she flipped the pole in a small pretend cast.

"Remind me to pack a couple of suture kits," she said. "The last time I used one of these I sliced my finger open on a hook." Luka grinned. Abby pulled the snowsuit out of the box.

"This is the new one we bought on sale for next winter," she said as she shook it out. "What are you doing with it?" He shrugged.

"Ummm...just packing it...in case," he said. Abby raised her eyebrows.

"A snow suit? For Michigan in... June?" Luka grimaced a bit with a grin.

"Uh...it...might get a little cold at night," he said. "You know...under the trees in the state park." Abby rolled her eyes.

"Cold? And we'll be in a tent?"

"Just in case," he said as he took the snow suit from her and stuffed it back in the box. "And you and I..." Luka wrapped his arms around her. He nodded toward the sleeping bags laying across the chair.

"They zip together...rather cozy..." he sighed. Abby chuckled and melted into his embrace. She leaned her head against his chest for a moment and then looked up at him.

"What if I have to use the bathroom in the middle of the night?" she asked. He reached over and took a flashlight from another box. Abby rolled her eyes.

"I think I'll hold it till morning," she said. Luka laughed.

"Good thing we have a coffee maker..." she said as she tipped her head back down. Luka's face fell again and he grimaced.

"Uh...Abby..." he said slowly. "The only campsites that were still available didn't have electrical access."

"What does that mean?" she asked.

"Uh...no plugs?" He snickered to himself as he felt her straighten in his arms.

"No plugs?" she said as she stood back a bit. "No coffee maker? I have to have coffee."

"I have a percolating coffee pot," he said. "I'll make it on the fire for you any time you want some." Abby sighed.

"Are you sure we're going to enjoy this?" she asked with her hands on her hips. Luka smiled and nodded.

"I promise," he said. He pulled her back into his arms and then looked toward the playpen. Lauren had pulled herself up and was standing agains the sides. She waswatching them seriously with a finger in her mouth. Abby laughed as Luka inched them closer and closer to the playpen. He reached down to lift their daughter into his arms. They stood snuggled together in the middle of all the camping essentials, both of his girls chuckling as he pressed kisses from one of their cheeks to another.


	3. Heed the Advice of Friends

Camping Tip Number Two : 'Heed the Advice of Friends'

"Camping in a tent?" Neela's brows furrowed in confusion. "That doesn't seem like your style."

"It's Luka's style," Abby said as she took a sip from her coffee cup. "It's least for now."

"I went camping once," Chuny offered from her seat at the table where she was absently thumbing through a magazine. "It rained the entire weekend." She looked up at Abby and laughed at her dismayed expression.

"Just remember to pack two of everything...and lots of plastic bags," she finished.

"I'd pack a charge card for a hotel room," Neela offered as she reached for the lounge door knob. She stepped back as the door was opened and Ray entered almost bumping into her.

"Hey, Neela," he said. "They're waiting for you in exam three. The little girl's parents are here."

"Thanks, Ray, " she said as passed through the door he held open for her. He headed for the refrigerator.

"Luka has been camping before, right?" Chuny asked. Abby shrugged.

"All the stuff is his and it's been used before. I think he's taken Alex...and Sam."

"Camping?" Ray said as he opened the refrigerator and took out his lunch bag. "Where are you going?"

"To a state park somewhere in Michigan."

"Lakeside or inland?" Ray grinned as Abby looked confused.

"Do you have any idea how many state parks there are in Michigan?" She shook her head and he frowned thoughtfully as he sat down at the table and unwrapped his sandwich.

"But I think it's along Lake Michigan somewhere," Abby offered.

"Hmmm...let's see...South Haven, Saugatuck, Holland, Grand Haven, Muskegon, Ludington, Traverse City, Charlevoix, Petosky and, my personal favorite, Mackinaw. Anything sound familiar?" He took a bite of his sandwich and grinned at their astonished faces.

"Big family, cheap vacation," he sighed as he took a bite of his sandwich. "My parents took us camping a lot when I was a kid." He chewed and then shook his finger at Abby.

"You are going to love waking up in a cozy sleeping bag with a stone cold nose. And there is nothing like the smell of bacon frying in a campground in the morning." He shook his head in fond remembrance and took another bite of his sandwich.

"I think it started with an 'm'," Abby said. "The campground, I mean."

"Muskegon?" Ray asked. Abby thought for a moment and then nodded. "Great beaches..." he added. "Sand like sugar...hard to walk on though. Take some sandals."

"That sounds real hopeful," Chuny grimaced. "Any serious shopping to be done there?" Ray snorted.

"Shopping? On a camping trip? Come on..."

"Well...what do you do with yourself all day?" Chuny sat back and crossed her arms.

" Play in the sand, go hiking, fishing, swim...there are no sharks in the Great Lakes," he offered. Abby laughed.

"That's true," she sighed and looked up at the clock.

"And when it rains?" Chuny asked. Ray shrugged.

"Crazy Eights, poker...gross each other out with body functions in a tent."

"Oohhh...Ray!" they both groaned. He snickered.

"Seriously, Abby," he said with a smile. "You'll be making some great memories."

"I could make good memories in a cruise ship!" Chuny said as she shook her head and stood up. She glanced back at Abby as she opened the lounge door.

"Remember what I said about packing two of everything...and a charge card!" Ray shook his head as she left.

"Naw..." he said. "Pack a sense of humor and a deck of cards. You'll be fine." He looked at Abby.

"My folks did it regularly with four kids for years," he said. 'We all survived to adulthood." Abby raised her eyebrows and glanced at his green Snow Patrol tee shirt under his white jacket. Ray looked down.

"Well...okay," he sighed. "Some of us are more adult than others." She laughed and stood up.

"Back to work," she sighed. "And thanks." Ray nodded and grinned as he watched her leave. Abby on a camping trip? That would be sight to behold. What in the world was Luka thinking?


	4. Everything But the Kitchen Sink

Camping Tip Number Three: "Everything but the Kitchen Sink"

"Which side do you want this on?" Luka asked as he headed toward the apartment door with the car seat. "Behind me or behind you?" Abby looked up from the cooler she was packing with sandwiches, water bottles and fruit.

"Does it matter?" she asked. Luka sighed heavily.

"I have to use the other side of the seat for supplies."

"You mean I'm not going to be able to sit in back to entertain her if she gets fussy?"

"She's not going to get fussy..." he groaned. Abby cast an apprehensive glance toward the little girl sitting in the high chair next to her. Lauren smiled up at her angelically and held up a small rubber duck that she'd been playing with. She dropped the duck over the edge of the tray and leaned over to watch it fall.

"Uh...uh...ooooooo," she said. Abby bent down to pick the toy up and put it back on the tray. Lauren promptly pushed it over the side again.

"Uh...Luka," she warned. Luka sighed.

"She'll be fine..." he said firmly. "She'll probably sleep most of the way." Abby shrugged as she absently picked up the duck again.

"Behind you then, I guess," she said. "Might be easier to reach her." Luka left with the car seat and an armload of sleeping bags and pillows. Abby sat in a chair and surveyed the little girl sitting next to her.

"You had a good night's sleep, right?" she asked as she swept Lauren's long dark hair into a ponytail on top of her head. "You've had a bath and clean diapers...a little snack...courtesy of Mom's Milk Bar..." Lauren leaned forward and batted her long eye lashes at her mother.

"Naw...those Lukalashes work on Dads, not Moms," Abby warned. Lauren sat back and grinned, flashing a deep dimple in her cheek...another trait from her father.

"Uppp...uppppp...puuppppp..." she mumbled as she pushed on the tray of the high chair.

"Good idea," Abby nodded. "I'll let you get a little exercise before strapping you in again." She undid the straps of the high chair and lifted Lauren free. She sat her in the middle of the livingroom where she could keep an eye on her and finish packing their lunch.

Abby pushed some of the buttons on Luka's stereo and grinned as strains of the Wiggles came through the speakers. Lauren clapped her hands and held them up as Abby pulled the little girl to her feet and they 'danced' together. Abby laughed as Lauren giggled and stamped her feet. Luka opened the apartment door and stopped when he saw them. He grinned. It was so much fun to see Abby so lighthearted. The change in her had been so incredible since Lauren had been born. He'd worried about depression. Sometimes he felt like he saw a glimmer of that occasionally but she seemed determined to have a different kind of relationship with her daughter than she'd had with her own mother. Luka crossed the room to the cooler Abby had been packing.

"Is this ready to go?" he asked above the din. Abby nodded as her lips moved to the song coming from the stereo. He winked at her and snapped the cooler shut. She swept Lauren up in her arms and twirled around to the music. Lauren squealed and grabbed her mother's face. She planted a sloppy wet kiss on Abby's nose. Luka grinned at them and carried the cooler and yet another bag of items out to their car.

Abby settled Lauren in the middle of the livingroom with a small basket of toys to keep her occupied. She made a quick check through the apartment rooms, grabbed a jacket and extra pair of shoes from Lauren's dresser and locked the window in their bedroom. She looked down at the street below and rolled her eyes when she saw Luka strapping something to the top of the car. A hotel would have been SO much easier!

Luka was waiting for her when she came down the steps from their bedrooms. He had Lauren under one arm and the basket of toys in the other.

"Ready?" he asked. Abby sighed and nodded. She locked the door behind them and followed him out to the street. The doorman was standing near their car and opened the door for her. Abby surveyed all of the things inside the car and on top of the car. Luka fastened Lauren into her car seat and shut the door. He looked at Abby as she put her hands on her hips and scratched his chin.

"Don''t think you might have forgotten anything, have you?" she asked as she shook her head. Luka grinned.

"If I did we can find a store when we get there."

"It's kind of embarrassing," she added as she wrinkled her nose. Luka sighed and drummed his fingers on the hood of the car.

"Ready?" he asked. She sighed and nodded as she climbed into the front seat. She fastened her seat belt as Luka started the engine. Then he stopped. She undid the seat belt and then ran back into the building. Luka shook his head impatiently as he waited. The doorman laughed as she hurried back out with the Wiggles CD in her hand.

"Now we can go!" she laughed as she redid her seat belt. She waved to the doorman as Luka pulled the car away from the curb and into the slow moving traffic.


	5. Read the Directions

Camping Tip Number Four : "Read the Directions"

Abby adjusted the light blanket around a sleeping Lauren and smiled as she tucked the stuffed bear next to her daughter's head as a pillow. She settled back in her seat and refastened the seat belt. She glanced over at Luka. He was watching the Lake Michigan shoreline as he drove and was grinning from ear to ear.

"You're loving this, aren't you?" she asked. Luka glanced at her and then nodded.

"We did this in Croatia," he said. 'We would drive up and down the coast from one beach to another, my friends and I."

"And camp in a tent?" He shrugged.

"A couple of blankets maybe. We would sleep on the beach...cook on a big bonfire..." He snickered. "We were just stupid kids."

"Sounds like fun," she sighed.

"Did you do anything stupid when you were a kid?" Abby snorted.

"Oh...yeah!" she cried. "But nothing like that...and nothing I want to tell you about right now."

"Oh, come on..." Luka cajoled.

"Nooooo..." Abby laughed. "But let's just say that anything that one back there tries to pull on us won't be a surprise." Luka chuckled and glanced in his rearview mirror at his sleeping daughter.

"She's not going to pull anything on us," he sighed with a smile. Abby grimaced and shook her head.

"She will," she said. "It's in her genes...on both sides."

"No..." Luka said. "I'm keeping her under a locksmith." Abby laughed and sat back in her seat.

"Lock and key..." she corrected. Luka shrugged and focused on the road. She glanced over at him and her smile faded a bit as she searched his profile. Her heart seemed to swell in her chest until it threatened to choke her. Sometimes she was just overwhelmed with the feelings she had for him. It was scarey. She wasn't used to feeling like that.

Luka looked over at her and smiled.

"What are you thinking about?" Abby shrugged.

"I am wondering how I let you talk me into doing this," she sighed. Luka reached over and squeezed her hand and she laced her fingers through his.

"You're just putty in my hands," he said. "Did I get that one right?" Abby laughed and nodded as she lifted his hand to her lips and kissed it.

It took them four hours to drive from Chicago to Muskegon State Park on the shores of Lake Michigan. Abby had to admit that the park was...beautiful. Tall pines liberally dotted the camp area and the ground was sandy and warm. The campground was full of families and Abby's eyes were wide as she took in the different camping set ups and smelled the sweet campfire smoke in the air.

Luka backed their SUV into the campsite they'd been assigned and unfastened the folded play pen from the top of the car. He set it up and Abby dumped some of Lauren's toys into it. Lauren was happy to be out of her car seat and able to move again. She pulled herself to a standing position on the side of the playpen and watched her parents. Abby helped Luka move the picnic table as they settled on a good spot to set up the tent. He grinned and pulled out the bag that stored his tent, poles and stakes.

'You've done this before, right?" she asked as she surveyed the confusing array of plastic, tarp, ropesand aluminum.

"Not in a couple of years but what's to remember?" he shrugged. He pulled out the tent and directed her as they staked down the corners. He pulled out the poles and frowned as he tried to remember which one went where. They ended up pulling up the tent stakes again and trying to put the poles in first. The entire tent collapsed..

"Were there any directions with this thing?" Abby asked as Luka refigured the tent poles.

"Oh, they're long gone," he sighed. Abby shrugged and went through the remaining items in the bag and pulled out a tiny square of paper that was lodged in the corner of the bag. She unfolded it as Luka cursed in Croatian and pulled pole sections apart...again. She glanced over the paper with a smile.

"Um...Luka..." she said. "Let's try it this way." She went through the poles on the ground and picked out two. Luka frowned as they snapped together. He watched as she assembled the tent poles and then handed him the hammer.

"Maybe it was a good idea to stake it down first after all?" Luka regarded her suspiciously and moved to hammer in the stakes...again. Abby grinned and slipped the tent directions into the pocket of her jeans.


	6. Check the Batteries

Camping Tip Number Five: "Check the Batteries"

He'd thought of everything to make the tent homey. He inflated an air bed that took up at least half the floor space. Their doubled sleeping bag and pillows covered it. Then Luka had pulled out a smaller inflatable bed that was emblazoned with Thomas the Tank Engine...a nod to her grandfather's first profession. It had a warm sleeping bag cover with four inflatable sides that would keep Lauren from rolling out. Luka had tucked the sheets and blankets from her crib inside so it made a cozy, familiar smelling little nest for her. Abby was inwardly congratulating herself for making sure that Lauren had learned to sleep in lots of places with lots of different bedding. Hopefully the novelty of the tent wouldn't be too much of a diversion for her. They'd packed a few clothes in a large plastic storage box for the tent and kept the rest in duffle bags in the car. Chuny's tale of nonstop rain had freaked Abby a little.

They went for a walk through the campground before dinner and Luka paid for campfire wood to be delivered to their site. They took a path to the beach and Luka stood at the top of the huge sand dune and took a deep breath. It wasn't the Adriatic Sea by any means...but all the water and sand and the sound of waves were beautiful none the less. He couldn't wait to get Lauren there in the sun...to play in the lapping water and wet sand.

As they walked back to the campsite in the dusk, Luka watched Abby beside him as they each held one of their daughter's hands and patiently helped her walk back to their site.Abby hadn't said much but seemed to be enjoying herself.

It was relaxing as the campground began to settle for the night. He built a fire in their fire pit and unfolded a double love seat chair to relax in. Abby had changed Lauren into a warm summer sleeper and nursed her by the fire while Luka fixed dinner for the two of them. Surprisingly, Lauren drifted off to sleep after being fed. Luka carried her into the tent and settled her in her bed for the night. Abby investigated one of the foil packets that Luka had pulled from the fire before taking Lauren from her. Something smelled delicious. She looked up and smiled as he made his way out of the tent and zipped the door closed.

"What's in this?" she asked. Luka grinned and picked up the thick paper plates and forks from the picnic table. He sat next to her in the folding chair and pulled one of the packets onto a plate. He poked holes in the foil and Abby watched as steamy fragrant smoke curled out of the holes. Luka peeled back the foil and handed the plate to her.

"An old Boy Scout recipe," he said. Abby sniffed and then investigated the contents with her fork.

"Hamburger..." she said. "Potato...onions...carrot slices..."

"A little fresh garlic...parsley..." he added. Abby took a bite from a fork full.

"This is very good!" she said and settled back next to him as she ate. Luka grinned and opened his own dinner packet.

"We can do this with fish too," he said. Abby looked up at him and grimaced slightly.

"What?" Luka laughed. "I make a great salmon packet!" She shook her head a bit and went back to eating dinner. When they had finished they settled back in the cozy chair and just enjoyed the quiet sounds around them. Their fire was dying and Luka stirred the embers and then settled an arm around her.

"This is really nice, Luka," she said quietly. He looked down at her and smiled. He tipped his face nearer to her's and kissed her.

"I hope you feel the same way in the morning when you're drinking campfire coffee," he chuckled as he tipped her chin up with his fingers. Abby winked.

"There's a coffee shop in town," she said. "I saw it when we were driving through." He shook his head in mock disgust.

"You're going to make me run out of here in the morning just for a cup of coffee?" Abby frowned up at him thoughtfully.

"I am living in a tent with **no** electricity," she said. "...so, yes!" Luka shook his head and grinned.

"For you, Ms. Lockhart," he said as he kissed her nose. "Anything at all." Abby chuckled and then looked around.

"I think I need to make a run to the bathhouse before bed," she said. "Do you have the flashlight?"

"Uh...yeah..." he said cautiously. "But there's a problem." Abby turned to him.

"You forgot to check the batteries, didn't you?" she asked. Luka shrugged.

"Sorry..." he sighed. Abby shook her head and stood up.

"I'll go first," she said as she gingerly picked her way through the campsite toward the hard packed dirt road. She stopped at the car and rummaged through the back seat for the small bag she packed tooth brushes and other toiletries in. She headed down the road toward the well lighted bath house.

Luka was still sitting by the dying fire when she returned. He took the bag from her and stirred the coals in the fire pit so they would cool and die out. He hurried toward the bath house himself. Abby unzipped the tent door and slipped inside. It wasn't incredibly cold but she changed into an over sized pair of thermal pants and a soft flannel shirt that belonged to Luka. She settled on top of the sleeping bag and lay on her sideand tried tosee Lauren in the dark. She reached over and drew the blankets up around the baby's chin and laughed softly as she felt her little rump in the air. She'd taken to sleeping with her knees tucked up to her stomach. Abby had just started to drift off when she heard Luka at the door of the tent. He slipped inside and dropped the bathroom bag onto the clothes box. He dropped onto the mattress and Abby stifled a shriek as she went flying into the air and dropped onto the tent floor next to the mattress.

"You did that on purpose!" she whispered harshly.

"Yeah," Luka said. "I didn't want you to fall asleep on me so soon." Abby giggled and made her way back onto the mattress and it was Luka's turn to roll off. He snickered and then she heard a low hiss.

"I'm letting some of the air out," Luka said. "Oh...I forgot." He stood up and left the tent. Abby heard him cuss in Croatian as he made his way gingerly around the outside of the tent. He must be barefoot. She looked up as moonlight suddenly flooded around her. Luka came back inside and she could see him smiling. He stretched out carefully in the air mattress next to her and pulled her back against his shoulder. Abby sighed as she looked up. He'd taken the rain cover off and there was a section of the tent's roof that was nearly invisible. It was as if they were sleeping out under the open sky with stars all around them.

"Beautiful," she sighed.

"Yeah..." Luka whispered as he kissed her. He took her soft ear lobe gently between his teeth as his hand crept slowly up under the well worn flannel shirt she was wearing.

"Should we be doing this with our daughter so close?" she asked.

"Well, maybe not when she's thirteen," Luka murmured softly. "But she's sleeping pretty soundly right now." Abby chuckled and wrapped her arms around his neck drawing him even closer as the now unbuttoned shirt parted.

"Luka..." she whispered.

"Hmmm?" he sighed as he pressed a kiss to her neck and another to the rounding top of her breast.

"I think I could really get into this tent thing." Her breath caught as he laughed softly.


	7. Meet Your Neighbors

Camping Tip Number Five: "Meet Your Neighbors"

Abby snuggled deeper into the warm sleeping bag and then slowly came awake as she realized she was alone. She opened her eyes and looked around in confusion as she began to remember where she was. She heard the tent door zipper open and lifted her head slightly.

"Okay, dijete djevojka," Luka spoke quietly as he slipped Lauren into the tent and stood her up against their inflatable bed. "Bring me mommy's nose." He grinned and quickly zipped the door shut again. Abby suppressed a grin and opened her eyes just enough to watch Lauren pull herself along the bed to her face. Abby opened her eyes and smiled as Lauren patted her face.

"Mmmmaammm..." Lauren babbled and leaned in to plant a kiss on Abby's face. Abby laughed and pulled her arms out from inside the sleeping bag and lifted Lauren onto the bed next to her. Luka had dressed her and given her graham crackers from the looks of the front of her overalls. Lauren pushed a strand of her long hair away from her face and shook her head.

"Mmmmm...mmmmmm..." she said. Abby laughed and snuggled her close beside her.

"Sorry, kiddo," she said. "You're going to have to let mama go to the bathroom first."

Luka was frying bacon on his camp stove when she opened the tent door and stepped outside with Lauren in her arms. Abby took a deep breath and grinned. Ray had been right. There really **was** nothing like the smell of bacon in the piney, early morning air.

"Good morning!" Luka said as he held up a large thermal cup from the coffee shop. "We made a coffee run for you." Abby kissed his cheek quickly and handed Lauren to him.

"Thanks!" she said. "Gotta go!" Luka chuckled as she hurried off toward the bathhouse. He looked at Lauren who was watching Abby and then he grimaced as she let out a loud wail of anger.

"Stop that right now," he said sternly. "She's coming back." Lauren looked at him with tear filled hazel eyes and her rose bud lips quivered. Luka's heart melted and patted her back gently.

"It's okay," he said quietly. " Tata je pravo ovdje...eh?" Lauren stuck a finger in her mouth and leaned against his shoulder. Luka smiled and snuggled her close.

With breakfast, coffee and dishes out of the way, Abby looked around the neat campsite and sighed.

"Okay, Kovac..." she asked. "What is on the agenda for today?" Luka shrugged.

"Beach for a little while this morning...hang out around here for the afternoon. I brought a book to read," he said as he folded the camp stove and set it at the end of their picnic table. Abby frowned slightly.

"No 'adventure' planned? That's not like you." Luka shrugged, took a deep breath and looked around them.

"**This** is an adventure..."

"Riiighhhhtt..." Abby chuckled as she lifted Lauren from her playpen. She headed for the tent.

"Your bathing suit, right?" Luka leered playfully. Abby rolled her eyes and nodded.

They spent the morning on the sandy beach as the sun rose higher and warmed the soft, white dunes. Luka delighted in building sand castles and 'melting' them again with water to Lauren's dismay. Abby snapped picture after picture of the two of them from the blanket in the sand where she was soaking in the sun's warmth. They went for a walk down the beach before heading back to their campsite. Lauren was exhausted from the fresh air and went right to sleep for a nap. Abby slipped out of the tent after settling her down and grinned when she saw Luka stretched out in the folding love seat, asleep with a book on his chest. She meandered over and looked at the title.

"Official NASCAR Trivia?" she chuckled. "And I brought nothing but medical journals..." Luka opened his eyes and grinned. He sat up and pulled her into the seat next to him. He nuzzled her cheek and then glanced at his watch.

"Having fun?" he asked. Abby nodded.

"Yeah...I am," she replied, a bit surprised at her answer. "It's... relaxing."

"Huh..." Luka said. ""Wait till we go fishing!" Abby looked up as a car pulling a small trailer stopped in front of the camp site next to them. She watched as it backed up slightly and then pulled in. Her mouth dropped open as she recognized the vehicle. Luka grinned as she stood up.

"Did you know they were coming?" she asked him incredulously. Luka nodded. Susie Lewis was the first one to jump out of the car and run over to them. She was followed closely by her best friend, Heather.

"It was the best!" she cried as she hugged Abby and threw her arms around Luka. "We came across Lake Michigan on a ferry! Thank you for inviting us!" Abby hugged Heather and then headed over to the car. She waited to hug Chuck as he got out of the driver's seat and stretched.

"I can't believe this!" she laughed as Chuck hugged and kissed her. "He never tells me anything!" Chuck lifted Cosmo from the back seat and handed him to her. Abby kissed the little boy and settled him on her hip as she circled to the front passenger door.

"You've gotten so big!" she said to him and then stopped short when she saw the misery her friend was in. Susan sat still, holding her head in her hands. Abby tapped on the window and then opened the door.

"Oh my god..." Susan moaned. "Two and a half hours on a ferry across Lake Michigan! Next year we plan this duo vacation, okay? And NOTHING to do with a boat!" Abby laughed sympathetically and hugged Cosmo again before setting him down to the ground. He raced off after Susie and Heather who were headed toward the nearby bath house.

"Sea sick?" she asked Susan. Her friend cast bleary eyes toward her.

"Oh, ya think?" Abby suppressed a grin and waited until Susan had eased herself out of the car. She wrapped her arms around her friend and hugged her gently.

"Come on," she said. "I think we have a soda in the cooler to help settle your stomach." Susan sighed gratefully and walked slowly across the empty campsite toward the chair near the fire pit in front of Abby and Luka's tent.

"I am surprised Beth let Heather come with you," Abby said as she rummaged through the ice in the cooler to find a can of 7-Up. She opened it and poured a little into a paper cup and handed it to Susan, who was definitely still looking a little green around the gills.

"I guess she figured her diabetic daughter could do worse than spend the week camping with three doctors and a flight nurse/PA in training," Susan said. She glanced over at the little trailer they had pulled with their car and smiled. Chuck had lifted the top and he and Luka were rummaging around for the tent and tent paraphenalia that had been packed away. Susan smiled and settled back in the chair.

"Have a seat and watch, Abby," she said. "'This should be pretty entertaining." Abby frowned and glanced over at their car. She saw the new tent bag and Luka and Chuck.

"Oh...yeah," she said with a grin and sat in the chair next to her friend.

An hour later, they were still watching them struggle with tent poles and stakes, the directions long discarded. Meanwhile, Susie and Heather and set up their little tent, blown up an air mattresses, changed into their bathing suits and headed for the beach trail with Cosmo in tow. Lauren had woken from her nap and was busy playing on a sheet nearby. Susan had lost interest in the the progress of the tent and was studying the baby on the ground in front of her.

"She definitely has Luka's hair...lucky girl," she sighed. "Your nose and mouth..." Lauren looked up at her and smiled. Susan melted.

"Aww...his dimples." Abby was studying the frustration of the two men working on the tent.

"I think I'd better go help them," she sighed. 'Are you feeling better?"

"Now that my feet are on solid ground? Much better," Susan sighed. She glanced down at Lauren and then sat up with a start.

"Abby, she's flirting with me! Already!" Abby chuckled.

"Uh huh," she said. "Luka's been teaching her how to work those lashes...and he doesn't even realize it." Susan dropped back into her chair.

"He is going to SO regret doing that..."

"I think he already does!" Abby laughed. She crossed the camp area and picked up the papers that had fallen from the tent box. "Are you guys ready to read the directions yet?


	8. Welcome Family

Camping Tip Number Seven: Welcome Family

"So, are you two planning on getting married any time soon?" Susan asked. Abby dropped the dish towel she was using to the picnic table and turned to look at her friend.

"Where and the **heck** did that come from?" she asked incredulously.

"I haven't a clue," Susan shrugged. "Must be this drivel that I am reading in this grocery store magazine?" Abby shook her head.

"So...are you?" Susan asked again.

"No plans to at the moment," Abby chuckled.

"Why not?" Abby frowned again and looked at her friend as she folded her arms across her chest.

"Why should we?"

"Umm...because you have been living together for almost two years? You have an adorable child together? Maybe because...you love each other...and have...for a very long time?" Susan stood up from her chair and moved to the table.

"Well, maybe we have a good thing going now and don't want to screw it up?" Susan rolled her eyes and shook her head as she sat at the table and spread her magazine in front of her.

"Married is better, Abby," she said, not looking up. "Trust me...and especially if it's with the right guy." Abby started to say something but stopped as Cosmo climbed up onto the picnic table bench. He plopped an old cardboard school box onto the table in front of him. Susan looked up from the magazine she was reading and smiled at her son.

"Hey, Cos," she said. "What kind of specimens did you collect this time?"

"Lots," he said and flipped up the lid. He looked up as Abby sat at the table next to his mother and watched as he took a large magnifying glass out of the box and handed it to her.

"Wanna see?" he asked. Abby smiled and took his magnifier.

"An acorn," he said and handed it to her. "It's a tree seed. I'm going to plant it at home." Abby made a show of examining the acorn with the magnifying glass and passed it to Susan. Cosmo grinned. He picked up a pine cone and gave it to Abby.

"A pine cone," he said, shaking his straight sandy hair out of his eyes. Abby nodded.

"I collected these when I was little too," she said as she gently examined the small cone before handing it to Susan. Cosmo handed her a shining rock.

"Heather said it's...mica," he explained. "That's a kind of rock." Abby nodded and held it up to the dappled sun light.

"Very pretty," she said as she handed it back to him. Cosmos smiled and handed her a hard brown wad of something.

"That's a real live owl pellet," he said. "Susie said we can take it apart and see what the owl et for lunch." Susan suppressed a smile as she glanced at Abby's face. She was staring at the small brown nugget it her hand.

"So, what you are say is that this is dried up owl..."

"Puke!" Cosmo crowed and laughed.

"Ah..." Abby sighed and handed it back to him quickly. "Very interesting." Susan chuckled as Abby wiped her hands on her shorts and shuddered.

"How is it that you can dig around inside someone's bloody gut going after a bullet but can't handle something like an owl pellet?" she asked.

"I don't know. Maybe the same reason that you can do it too and yet not bait a fish hook?" Susan rolled her eyes.

"I never said I couldn't," she said. "I just don't think using a worm is a good idea. Who wants to eat a fish that's had a worm in it's throat?" She looked at Cosmo and they both grimaced and shuddered. Abby laughed and looked up as a motorcycle came to a stop in the road in front of her campsite. The driver on the bike removed his helmet and grinned.

"Eric?" she said. He stashed the helmet on the handlebars and waited for the girl behind him to dismount. His girlfriend took off her helmet and shook her dark hair free as Abby approached and hugged her.

"Becca..." she said happily and then turned to her brother.

"I told you that she'd be happier to see you than me," he laughed as he wrapped his arms around his sister and hugged her close. Abby tipped her head back suddenly.

"Maggie's not behind you, is she?" she asked. Eric laughed as he draped an arm across Abby's shoulders and took Becca's hand.

"Naw...she's saving her vacation days for a certain someone's upcoming first birthday?" Abby sighed and they

"Ahhh...thanks for the head's up," Abby sighed as they headed toward the picnic table.

"You remember my friend, Susan Lewis," Abby said. Eric nodded and smiled.

"And this is Becca," Abby said. Susan grinned.

"Nice to finally meet you," she said. Becca smiled and sat down into a camp chair.

"Are you camping too?" Abby asked. Eric shook his head as he sat on the high sided edge of the cement fire pit.

"No. We have a room in town for a couple of nights," he said. Susan sat up straighter.

"A room?" she said. "With a real bed and bathtub?"

"I hope so!" Eric chuckled. Susan sagged.

"Lucky you..." she sighed.

"Don't listen to her," Abby chuckled. "We're having a great time." Susan rolled her eyes. She slapped at a wayward mosquito and grimaced.

"A rollicking time..." Susan sighed. She smiled at Cosmo who was gathering his treasures back into his box.

"Wanna go take a nap with Mom?" she asked. Cosmo looked at her thoughtfully for a moment and then nodded slowly. Susan grinned.

"I thought so," she said. Susan stood up and picked up her magazine.

"Well, I guess we will leave you folks to visit," she said. "We have a date for a nap...on our inflatable rubber mattress." She grinned in feigned excitement and Eric chuckled as he watched Susan swing Cosmo up in her arms and head toward their campsite. He glanced around.

"So where is everybody?" he asked.

"Lauren's sleeping," Abby said as she sat on the table bench. "Luka and Chuck took the girls to see some submarine that's permanently parked near here. USS Silversides, I think? They should be back soon." Eric nodded. Abby looked at Becca and smiled.

"Where did the bike come from?" she asked. Becca sat up straighter.

"It's my brother's," Becca said. 'We didn't really want to drive over so he loaned it to us."

"I'm glad you came," Abby said. Becca's blue eyes met her's and she smiled warily.

"I am too," she said softly. Eric watched the exchange between his sister and girlfriend curiously. Abby looked at him and smiled.

"We're having hobo pies for dinner," she said. "Remember those?"

"I do!" he laughed. "When we went fishing with that couple in Minneapolis...I think I called her Grammy?" Abby nodded.

"Yes, you did," she said. "So you'll stay?" Eric nodded.

"We had planned to hang out here during the day," he said. "I didn't think you'd have room in your tent though."

"Oh, I am sure Susan would switch places with you if you really want to try a tent," Abby said a little loudly.

"Just say the word..." Susan chimed in from the inside of her tent. Eric chuckled and Abby shook her head.


	9. Keep Your Eyes and Ears Open

Camping Tip Number 8: Keep Your Eyes and Ears Open

"It's our turn to make a grocery store run," Susan announced as they were finishing breakfast. "Anyone have any ideas for dinner?" She cast a sly glance toward Chuck and grinned a bit.

"Can we go into town with you?" Susie asked.

"It might take a while," she said. "We want to do a little...uh...sight seeing on our own." Abby snickered. Susan scowled at her.

"Yeah well...some of us...aren't having as much...fun...with the inflatables?"

"What are you talking about?" Luka asked. Susan rolled her eyes.

"Tents are made of material, Kovac," she said sarcastically. "Very... thin...material, I might add."

"Oh..." he nodded and looked at Abby. "I thought we were being quiet." She shrugged. Susie and Heather exchanged glances.

"Yuck. I think we are WAY too young to be hearing this conversation," Susie said to Heather. "Let's go for a walk."

"Well, if we're not here when you get back..." Susan called after her as Cosmo climbed down and hurried after them.

"I don't want to think about it..." Susie held up her hand and took Cosmo's hand in her other one. Susan laughed and then turned back to Luka.

"Grocery list?"

"You mean you really are going to stop at the store?" he asked. Susan scowled at him. Luka snickered and took the pen and paper Abby handed him.

Susan and Chuck left a little later and Abby busied herself putting the camp site back in order. She slathered sun screen on Lauren and dressed her in jean shorts and a tee shirt. She settled her on a blanket with her basket of toys and sat next to Luka in their double folding chair. He smiled and sighed as he settled his arm across her shoulders and they watched their daughter play. The morning sun was peeking through the branches of the pine trees around them and warming the sand at his feet. He glanced around at the campsites near them...people starting their day or getting ready for a day of activities. He raised a hand and waved at a family on the other side of Susan and Chuck's campsite. They were just sitting down to breakfast. "Nice..." he said softly as he pressed a kiss near Abby's ear. She looked over at him and grinned.

"Um...me or this place?" she asked. Luka shook his head.

"Always fishing for a compliment, aren't you?" he said. His hand slipped down to her arm pit and she squealed softly as he tickled her. She jabbed her elbow into his chest and then froze.

"Luka, look..." she said. He stopped and they both watched Lauren. She was standing up and watching them as she took five quick, wobbling steps toward them before falling back on the blanket. Abby jumped up and scooped her into her arms before she could cry.

"Yay!" she said as she kissed the little girl's neck and swung her around. "You walked all by yourself!" Lauren giggled and threw herself back in Abby's arms reaching for Luka. Abby laughed and fell back in the chair as she lost her balance and Luka caught them. They were in the process of untangling and laughing when Eric and Becca rolled up on the motorcycle. Eric watched them for a moment before removing his helmet. It was a nice picture to see his sister laughing.

"I think I need to rescue a damsel in distress," he said to Becca. She grinned as he crossed the campsite and lifted Lauren away from Luka and Abby. The little girl shrieked and reached for her father again.

"What is it with you, Kovac?" Eric asked as he gave Lauren back to him. "The European charm of yours seems to know no boundaries!" Luka laughed as he kissed his daughter's cheeks and snuggled her against his chest for a moment.

"All little girls love their tatas best," he said. Abby shook her head.

"Yes...and some of them are hopelessly spoiled in the process."

"I do not spoil her!" he frowned. The frown changed to a sheepish grin as Eric, Becca and Abby laughed at him. Luka planted a kiss on his daughter's cheek and ran a finger through her soft, dark hair.

They decided to spend the afternoon on the beach...along with most of the other campground residents. They found a semi secluded spot on the dune and spread their beach blankets out. Luka headed right at the water's edge with Lauren and Cosmo...to build sand castles. Abby settled down for some serious sunning with her brother. Eric seemed pensive so Abby was glad for a few minutes alone with him. Something important was up.

She glanced over and studied his profile as he watched Luka playing in the shallow water with Cosmo and Lauren. He turned his head and looked for Becca as she walked the shoreline with Susie and Heather.

"She's pregnant, Abby," he said, not looking at her.

"Really..." Abby said in surprise. Eric snorted and shook his head as he buried his fingers in the sugar soft sand of the dune.

"She hasn't actually told me that yet," he said as he glanced at her.

"So how do you know then?" she asked. He rolled his eyes.

"I grew up in the same house with you and Maggie," he said with a grin. ''Two of the most volatile PMSers in the history of the world! I know all the signs." Abby punched his shoulder.

"I wasn't that bad..." she grimaced. Eric chuckled and rubbed his shoulder where she'd punched him. They were quiet for a moment.

"Her little red check marks have been missing from the kitchen calender for the past two months, " he added softly. Abby nodded.

"Part of me wants to tell her to get rid of it," Eric said, not looking at her. "And part of me..." He shook his head and studied his feet buried in the sand.

"What?" Abby asked. He sighed heavily and looked at her.

"Part of me wants to see what kind of life...and little kid...we would make together, you know?" Abby smiled softly and nodded.

"I have definitely been there and done that."

"I don't know what to do," he said quietly, waiting again for his big sister to say the right words to him.

'Well...obviously you care...very much...about her," Abby said thoughtfully. "You're still on the program and your meds. Maggie never managed that...for anyone." Eric nodded. Abby reached over and picked up his hand and held it in her's.

"If you do care about her, " she said. "Tell her. Tell her now. Don't run away from this. It could be really wonderful for you."

"Or it could destroy her," he said. Abby shook her head.

"She's a pretty tough girl," she said confidently. Eric turned and studied her face quizzically.

"And how would you know something like that?" he asked. Abby shrugged.

"We've talked...or rather written emails," she said. "Talk to her. She might surprise you." Eric nodded and then tipped his head toward the shoreline.

"So how come you won't marry him?" he asked.

"What is it with you people? First Susan and now you," she scoffed. "Did Luka put you up to this?" Eric shook his head.

"You just don't seem very willing to follow your own advice," he said.

"I didn't say marry her, Eric," she said. "I said don't run away from her."

"Good old Abby," he said as he chuckled and shook his head. "Always the pessimist." She stood up and tried to brush the sticky sand off her seat.

"No, not a pessimist," she said. "I am...a realist." She smiled at him and headed down the dune to the sandy shore.

"Naw. A 'realist' would know how much that man adores you," Eric said quietly as he shook his head and watched Luka's face as Abby approached him. She reached up and kissed him and patted Lauren's cheek. They each took one of Cosmo's hands and swung him back and forth in the water.


	10. Stay on the Trail

Camping Tip Number Nine: Stay on the Trail

"Today we are going hiking," Luka announced with a determined tone. "I want to take the Muskegon Loop to Loop trail." Susan looked up from her newspaper and shook her head.

"Not this chick, Kovac," she said in feigned disappointment. "I forgot to bring my hiking boots." Chuck looked up from his tool box.

"You have hiking boots?" he said. Susan rolled her eyes and glared at him. Chuck snickered and went back to searching in his tools. Luka turned his face to Abby. She looked at him and then quickly looked away.

"Oh, please don't. I can't stand it when you use those eyes on me," she said. Susan laughed.

"Go ahead, Abby," she said. "Chuck and I will take care of Lauren for you."

"Can we come too?" Susie asked.

"It's a long trail," he warned. "Five miles." Abby's head dropped to the table.

"The attendant said it's an easy walk," he reassured her. "We'll pack a lunch and have a picnic along the way."

"Cool" Susie exclaimed as she and Heather high fived one another. Abby shook her head.

"Wouldn't you rather just stay around here and play a game or something?" she said. "You can teach me how to play poker. I'll even let you win."

"Maybe later," Luka said.

It was much later when Abby shifted the straw hat she wore on her head and looked around the wild flower strewn swamp that surrounded her. They were walking on a wooden walkway and Luka held her hand snugly as he led the way.

"Do you realize that we are standing in the middle of a bog?" she asked. "Aren't there...like...rattlesnakes...in bogs?"

"Not this one," Luka said as they stepped back on the hard packed dirt of the trail.

"At last..." Abby sighed.

Luka grinned at her as he kissed her and then they both looked up as Heather came crashing down the path ahead of them. She was crying as she stopped to catch her breath.

"We found a baby..." she choked. "Farther up the trail." She bent over and put her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath.

"A what?" Luka asked in astonishment.

"A baby girl," Heather exclaimed. "It looks like a newborn. Susie didn't want to move her so she is staying with her."

"Abby," Luka said. "Go back to the campsite and call 911..."

"I can't find my way back alone!" Abby cried. 'You go back, call the paramedics and bring your bag back here. I'll go find Susie."

"Are you sure?" he asked. "You don't know what you're going to find." Abby rolled her eyes and shooed him toward the trail they had just come down. She handed Heather a water bottle.

"You stay right here and rest," she told the ashen girl. "They'll need you to help them find us." Heather nodded.

"Hurry..." she said. "Susie was scared." Abby nodded and took off down the trail at a jog. Luka watched her go, patted Heather and then began running back along the trail they had come on.

Susie was seated at the edge of the trail on a rock holding a big stick as tears rolled down her cheeks. She was wearing her bathing suit but no slacks. She looked up frantically as Abby approached her. She hiccuped and pointed down at the covered bundle on the ground. Abby recognized the pants Susie had been wearing earlier.

"What did you find here?" Abby asked gently as she knelt near the rock and carefully lifted the shorts. Her heart thudded as she took in the crying newborn baby girl. The umbilical cord had been tied off with a shoelace but was still attached to the baby and a bloody mass of placenta.

"There was a raccoon..." Susie cried and brandished the stick protectively. Abby nodded as she did a careful cursory exam.

"How could someone do this?" Susie choked. "We have to find them." Abby shook her head and carefully wrapped the baby back in Susie's shorts to keep her warm. She examined the drying placenta and sighed.

"Someone knew what they were doing, sweetheart," Abby said as she indicated the shoelace. "They tied the cord off to stop the circulation to the placenta."

"But why bother doing that and just leave her here?" Susie sobbed. Abby shrugged and jostled the baby in her arms a bit.

"Oh man," she sighed and shook her head as she realized what was happening to her. She glanced at Susie and then sat carefully on the rock next to her. Abby unbuttoned her blouse and slipped up the edge of her dampened cami top. She eased the nipple of her breast into the baby's mouth. The baby stopped crying immediately and began to nurse.

"Abby!" Susie cried. 'What are you doing?" Abby chuckled.

"We're lucky that **I** came after you and not Luka," she said. "She's dehydrated." Susie giggled through her tears and watched as the baby in Abby's arms struggled to suck.

"Tap her on the bottoms of her feet a little," Abby said. "She's exhausted but she needs to nurse." Susie did as she was told and then smiled as the sucking resumed. She traced a finger along the baby's ear and wiped away some sand that was caked there.

'We'll let her feed a bit longer and then we'll start back with her," Abby said. "Luka should be back some time."

"I didn't want to leave here...in case there were clues or something," Susie said.

"You did the right thing, Susie," Abby said. "You wrapped her up and kept her warm but we can't stay here much longer...clues or no clues. She needs medical care." Susie nodded. She kept her eyes on the baby and sniffed.

"What's going to happen to her now, though?" she asked. Abby shrugged and tucked the khaki pants closer around the baby and the still attached cord and placenta.

"If she checks out okay at the hospital, I imagine she will be adopted by a family that has been waiting for a baby." Susie sighed as Abby eased her nipple from the sleeping baby's mouth and pulled the cami down again.

"Are you ready to go?" Susie nodded.

"Can I carry her first?" she asked. Abby gently passed the baby into Susie's arms and stood up. She smiled and followed Susie as they headed back along the trail they'd come from.

The ambulance was waiting when Luka and Abby reached the trail's start with the two girls and the baby. Susie and Heather rode to the hospital in the ambulance. Chuck and Luka followed them in the car after they dropped Abby off at the camp site.

"Well, that was quite an adventure!" Abby said as Susan hugged her.

"Are the girls okay?" Susan asked. Abby nodded.

"A little freaked out but Susie really kept her wits about her."

"Naturally..." Susan sighed.

"Uh...Susan?" Abby tipped her head toward a pink splattered Cosmo. Susan shrugged.

"His mosquito bites were bothering him," she said. "We gave him a paint brush so he could paint them with calomine lotion."

"It looks like he decided to expand his creative horizon?" Susan looked at the blanket and shrieked.

"Cosmo!" she scolded. Abby laughed and picked Lauren up. She held her at arm's length and examined the 'paint' job that practically covered her face, arms and bare tummy.

"Nice going, Cos," she said. "I think you have her well covered." Susan shook her head and reached for the camera on the table.

"This one goes in both baby books!" she chuckled.


	11. Plan Ahead

Susan glanced toward the fire pit and chuckled. She tipped her head and Abby looked up. Luka and Chuck were sound asleep in their camp chairs with books open on their chests.

"NASCAR Trivia?" Susan read aloud. "What's that all about?" Abby shrugged.

"Got me. Weird things happen to him when he's on vacation," she said. "Suddenly he is all about stock car racing." Susan chuckled and sorted through the Scrabble letter tiles in front of her.

"We finished our letters for the baby," Susie said as she and Heather emerged from their tent. "Can someone take us to the hospital so we can see her again? Her social worker said we could."

"Not right this minute, sweetie, but soon," Susan replied absently.

"They let us name her, you know," Susie said.

"I did hear that somewhere," Susan said as she set her tiles up for a game. "What was it you two came up with?"

"Emilie Grace," Heather said.

"Ah…yes. That was it." Susie's eyes narrowed as she studied her aunt.

"I hope the parents she gets decide to keep it," Heather said.

"She's teasing us, Heather," Susie said. "They are both impossible when they get that game out. We'd better take Cosmo and Lauren to the playground for a while before THEY get corrupted…..or worse, totally forgotten about." Susie flashed a sarcastic grin toward Susan who just waved them away. Abby nodded and didn't take her eyes off her letters.

"Great idea bringing those two along," she said as the girls walked down the road toward the park playground with Cosmo on Susie's back and Lauren in Heather's arms.

"Yeah…" Susan mused as she laid the first word on the board.

"You know, this has been fun but I am not exactly sure that camping is going to be my..…thing. How about if we try something different next summer?"

"Luka wants to see the bridges of Madison County," Abby offered. Susan raised her head and grimaced.

"Why?" she asked. Abby shrugged.

"He's going through a Meryl Streep phase right now. He watched the movie a couple of weeks ago."

"Ah……" Susan glanced toward Luka and shook her head.

"How about one of those resort places in the Catskills?" she said. "You know where people go and stay for the summer…do talent shows..…get dance lessons from Patrick Swayze?" Abby laughed.

"Now that's a possibility," she nodded.

"But I don't know that I want to wait a whole year to do this again," Susan looked up at her. "Can't you come to Iowa for Christmas?"

"Luka wants to take us to Croatia for Christmas this year," Abby said.

"Christmas in Croatia?" Susan mused. "Ooooo..…Christmas in Croatia…..that sounds so pretty." Abby chuckled and exchanged some letter tiles. Susan glanced up at her.

"You know, Abby," she said carefully. "That might also be a good time to have a wedding." Abby dropped her tiles and looked up at her expectantly.

"Maggie will not get on a plane," she said. "Eric may be…busy…with Becca in December. Would you be able to come?" Susan laughed.

"Right….four tickets to Croatia? Please…" she said.

"What kind of wedding is that? Who would be there?" Abby shook her head.

"Luka would be there…..and Lauren," Susan said. "Hey…she could even be your flower girl. Can't you just see her in red velvet with a little bouquet of white roses?" Abby looked up thoughtfully.

"No….." she said. "Silver satin to match my dress and dusky pink roses…" Susan's eyes widened as she squealed softly.

"So you have thought about it!" she said.

"Once or twice," Abby nodded. "I'm just not sure that it's something we really need to do."

"You do," Susan said firmly.

"But why?" Abby said. "We love each other now. We are committed to one another. We live in the same place. We're raising a child together. What's a ring and a piece of paper going to change?"

"Absolutely nothing," Susan said, "…….and everything."

"But I'm not sure that I want things to change."

"If that were really true, you wouldn't be thinking about wedding dresses," Susan laughed.

"Chuny brought me picture of a dress she found in a magazine. She knew I had an aversion to the whole white dress thing," Abby explained.

"Good for Chuny!" Susan cheered. "Tell me about it."

"I think it's supposed to be an attendant's dress," Abby said. "It's a silver satin…more like a sheath….kind of drapes over the shoulders and is backless. Very pretty."

"Sounds perfect for….Christmas in Croatia," Susan laughed. "Think about it, Abby." Abby nodded and sighed as she looked over her letters.

"Do you have anything to work with?" she asked. Susan shook her head.

"Let's just quit and take the girls up to the hospital," she said. "Suddenly I have this urge to hold a baby again." Abby nodded and dumped her tiles back into the Scrabble game box. She looked up and frowned as she saw Susan smiling at her.

"What?" she said as she looked around.

"Nothing," she said. "Just picturing you as a bride in Croatia." Abby rolled her eyes.

"Let's go get the kids…." she said. The two of them got up from the picnic table and headed of together for the playground. When he was sure they were gone, Chuck opened on eye and looked at Luka.

"Did you hear that?" he asked, "Silver satin and….backless? Man…" Luka nodded quickly and bit his bottom lip.

"Meryl Streep?" Chuck said. Luka nodded sheepishly.


	12. Let Him Cook

Susan watched Luka work as he filled the slender chicken wire cages he'd formed around the legs of his camping tripod with charcoal briquettes and lit them. Chuck handed him the turkey they had impaled on two hot dog fork hooks and slipped inside a turkey cooking bag. The bag was fastened snugly around the handles of the forks. Luka hung the turkey on the hook that would have held a pot over a fire. The two handles of the forks let the turkey hang directly in the center of the tripod. The two men then covered the entire tripod with heavy duty aluminum foil.

"Very interesting…." Susan mused. "And this is going to be done for dinner?" Luka shrugged.

"It's supposed to," he said as he settled back in his camp chair with the beer that Chuck handed to him. Chuck sat in his own chair and he and Luka tapped their beer bottles together companionably.

"I am kind of curious, Luka," Susan asked as she circled the covered tripod. "Just where do you get all of these ideas?" Abby chuckled as she shifted Lauren from one shoulder to the other and dropped a diaper into the trash can.

"Oh, please…" she grinned. "Let me tell her."

"I'm not embarrassed," Luka smirked. Susan frowned thoughtfully and then nodded smugly.

"You're still watching Martha Stewart, aren't you?" Luka raised his eyebrows and took a swig from his beer bottle.

"You didn't complain about last night's dinner," he said.

"Ooooo…." Susan shivered remembering the deliciously moist beef roast he had covered with a thick mustard and kosher salt paste before setting it cook directly on the fire's coals. Baked potatoes and roasted corn on the cob had topped off that particular meal.

"Martha rules!" Susan sighed happily and picked up Cosmo's sand toys. "We are off to the beach. Have fun guys." Abby blew Luka a kiss and she smiled as she and Susan walked toward the path that led them from the camping area to the sandy beach dune. She had Lauren over one shoulder and a diaper bag with sunscreen and water bottles peeking out the top over the other. Chuck shook his head as he watched them go.

"Man….I can **not** get the image of that silver satin backless thing out of my head," he sighed contentedly.

"Hey, you are talking about **my** girl's wedding dress," Luka frowned.

"I know! I know!" Chuck groaned. "But I am seeing it on **mine**!" Luka grinned and watched Abby and Susan as they disappeared over the beach ridge.

Susie and Heather had found a spot below the dune for them and had a beach umbrella already in place. They were sitting on a towel and Cosmo was in the sand nearby, buried up to his waist, playing happily with a little car in the sand around him.

"Nice way to keep in him one place," Abby laughed.

"Thank you!" Susie said as they stood up. 'We're meeting some of the other kids at the ranger station for a nature hike. We'll be back later."

"Uh, girls…" Susan said. Susie and Heather turned around.

"Do not find any more babies on the path, okay?" Susie rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Did we tell you that the people who are going to adopt her are keeping the name we gave her?" Heather asked. "And that they are going to invite us to her christening?"

"Yeah, I remember hearing that somewhere….." Susan nodded. Susie rolled her eyes again and grabbed her friend's arm and pulled her away. Abby settled Lauren on the blanket and slathered baby sunscreen in her hand and kissed the folds of Lauren's neck as she smoothed the cream all over the little girl's bare back and tummy. She twisted Lauren's long dark hair into a pony tail top knot and secured it with a flower hair clip.

"Help me please!" Cosmo said quietly as he smiled up at his mother. Susan sat next to him in the sand and pulled a shovel out of his toy bag. He took it from her and went back to digging in the sand in front of him. Abby sat Lauren nearby and gave her a small shovel. The little girl watched Cosmo intently and then dug her own shovel into the sand. She crawled over and patted his head. Cosmos shook the sand from his face and smiled as he handed her the car he'd been playing with.

"Promise me something, Abby," Susan said as she watched the two of them. Abby looked up from the sunscreen she was smoothing onto her arms.

"If Cosmo doesn't have a date for his senior prom, you'll let Lauren go with him." Abby laughed and shook her head.

"Oh, I am sure he'd absolutely love squiring her there when she's what…...a fourteen year old?" she said sarcastically.

"But she will be gorgeous….." Susan sighed. Abby chuckled.

"Okay," she said. "I promise…but only if you promise that he will be available for Lauren's senior prom?" Susan nodded and they high fived one another. They settled back on their beach towels.

"Did you even go to your senior prom?" Susan asked after a moment. Abby glanced over at her.

"No…." she said.

"Me neither," Susan laughed.

Something smelled delicious when they returned to the campsite. Luka and Chuck were holding court as other campers had gathered to see what was cooking inside the foil tent.

"It's actually working?" Abby asked. Luka grinned and nodded. He peeled back some of the foil so they could see the turkey bubbling in it's juices inside cooking bag. Susan and Abby exchanged glances.

"Who would have thought of something like this?" Susan shook her head. Luka started to say something and Susan held up her hand and Abby laughed.

"I know, I know," Susan said. "Martha rules!"


	13. Clean Up Your Campsite

Luka slammed the back door of their SUV shut and looked at Abby. She actually looked sad. He slipped an arm across her shoulders and they surveyed the empty campsite. Susie and Heather were cruising the ground with Lauren and Cosmo, picking up stray papers and scuffing the tent stake holes with their feet. Susan and Chuck were busy packing their own vehicle and straightening their own campsite.

"Very weird, isn't it?" Abby sighed. "A couple of hours ago this was a very busy little outdoor home. Now it's all gone." Luka chuckled and hugged her.

"It's actually in the back of our car waiting to be used again." Abby wrapped her arms around his waist and held him close for a long moment.

"Thank you, Luka," she said. "This has been a wonderful vacation." He grinned and kissed the top of her head.

"So you like camping?" he asked. Abby frowned thoughtfully.

"I liked this camping trip," she said. "I would go again, I think."

All done," Susie said brightly as she dumped a handful of trash into the bag waiting to be taken to the park dumpster. She held the plastic bag open as Cosmo dropped some papers into it. Heather held Lauren so she could put the paper from her hand in it as well. Luka grinned and took his daughter and tossed her high into the air. Lauren squealed and laughed as he caught her and kissed her cheeks. He settled her in the crook of his arm and took Abby's hand as approached Susan and Chuck's car.

"We're going to the bathroom again," Susie said as she took Cosmo's hand.

"Thank you….." Susan called after them. She turned to Abby and sighed. She blinked a bit as they hugged one another.

"Now remember," she said as she pulled away. "Next summer we do the resort thing in the Catskills? Dining room service? Patrick Swayze? " She looked up at Luka.

"A real bed in every room," she added. Luka chuckled.

"It wasn't that bad," he said. Susan frowned.

"Says you," she said. "Your blow up mattress saw a little more…..action….. than ours did." Luka shook his head and grinned. Susan looked at the little girl in his arms and smiled at the pony tails that held her hair away from her face. She sighed sadly as she lifted Lauren from his arm.

"The next time we do something like this……" she said as she kissed the soft little cheeks and hugged her close, "…you'll be a walking and talking little marvel." She handed Lauren to Abby reluctantly.

"Are we stopping somewhere for lunch?" she asked.

"That's the plan," Luka said as he took Lauren from Abby and carried her toward the open door of the car. He fastened her into her car seat.

"So you're not……" Abby chuckled.

"We decided that we'd rather spend the night with my Dad than attempt another Lake Michigan crossing on the way home," Susan shuddered as she wrapped an arm around Chuck. "We're following you back to Chicago." They all looked up as they heard the rumble of thunder. Abby held out her hand as huge raindrops began to fall.

"I think the gods were with us on this!" Chuck grinned as he lifted a hand to wave to Luka. Susan shrieked as she hurried around their car and Abby raced for her own open door. She hurried to roll the window up and fasten her seat belt. She waved to Susan as Luka pulled their car out of the camp site and slowly headed toward the park entrance. Luka shook his head as he turned on the windshield wipers and looked over at her. He snickered as he saw the aghast look on her face as she saw campers running for cover or trying to pull plastic over their tents and picnic tables.

"Uh…Luka," she said finally. "What I said about wanting to do this again?" He laughed and pulled their car out of the campground and on to the highway toward home.


End file.
